Last week, I took the whole week off because I was super busy. On top of that, I managed to lift enough weight to feel the pain in my arms. It was painful enough to steer me away from typing but I'm doing fine now.

Lately, all I can talk about is fitness, fitness, fitness. Since the beginning of the year, I have been doing Hip Hop Abs and well, I finished part 1 last week and just come to part 2 yesterday. Two weeks ago, I took some pictures just for fun after I worked out. To moonlight Dickens, I call them the Ghosts of Christmas Abs :)

A picture of yours truly after a nice workout from 2 weeks ago. Can you see the post-workout glow? Top by Ryka (<333 it although I could barely fit in it at the beginning of the year. Now, it fits quite nicely!) Pants by Express. It's a really really old pair of capri pants but since it's so comfortable, I'm keeping it. However, it is getting loose by the waist and I'm afraid I'll accidentally moon some people in the future.

The first picture on the left was clearly a dramatization. However, it closely depicted my state of abs before I started Hip Hop Abs, which was a keg! The picture in the middle was my abs from two weeks ago and the last picture from the right is my future abs.

But wait...the future is now. My abs look like that in the morning, before I had any food in my body. Also, did you notice my caboose? Before, I barely got anything to show back there but now, I can see my own booties and they are beautiful and firm, too!

I'm not kidding, y'all. Hip Hop Abs really works. Weight-wise, I lost 4 lbs without feeling like I was trying. Abs wise, I can see a huge difference. For the first time in 5 years, I fit in a pair of shorts that I bought back in 2007, wore once, and never could fit in it again until now. And guess what? It was even loose when I tried it on three weeks ago! All but a pair of jeans are loose on me now and the tops that used to be too tight fit me like gloves. But that's not it, my flexibility improves as well, which is a nice bonus.

Hip Hop Abs is a nice program and if you follow the schedule, you will see results. Shaun T is funny and friendly in the workouts and his personality is one of the things that keeps me coming back again and again. Also, his crew are fun and flexible. If you are not experienced enough, you can follow Tania who demonstrates an easier version of the workouts. The first few times, I followed her but after week 2, I pretty much followed Shaun.

The other thing that I love about Hip Hop Abs is Shaun T's ability to instruct throughout each workout without sounding winded at all. I could barely breathe the first time I did Total Body Burn as my sweat were dripping all over my body and into the mat bun Shaun T was working out, talking, and smiling at the same time. Unlike other fitness instructors in various workout programs I did before, Shaun T actually feels human. As I exercised along the way with him, I felt as if he was in the same room working out with me as well. He was sweating like a human being and sometimes, puffing for air at the same time. I guess these are the reasons I like him so much that I am sticking with Hip Hop Abs Ultimate Result and eventually working my way up to Insanity.

Last but not least, I have been motivated by Fitocracy, an online fitness community that makes working out fun. With each workout you log in, even the most insignificant one, you earn points. Gathering enough points will give you a level up. Right now I am in level 8 and it seems endless to me. Trisha from Makeup Files was the one who hooked me up and I'm glad to do the same to those who are interested in joining. Please email me and I'll send you an invitation as it is invitation-base for now.

That's all for now. And oh, by the way, Happy Valentine's Day! May you have all the love and more!

With love,Dao xoxo

P.S: Please show me some V-Day love by subscribing and following. Thanks a lot!